Toys, Toys and More Toys!

I haven’t had the chance to resize the photos taken during the family visit last week but here’s some that I managed to do.

Hamley's Dublin

We brought my niece, Nadia to Hamley’s last week because she was telling me she doesn’t remember much about the place and I don’t blame her because I think she was only 4 or 5 at the time.

I was adamant to show her the one in Dublin because this one is less crowded than the one in London, and we’ll get more proper photos taken here to show to her mum back home. You can see how empty the place is on a typical weekday afternoon in the photos below. It looked like we owned the store!

Happy to be back in her old playground

And look at these two, any girl would be happy in Barbie Land!

To be honest, I have a soft spot for this toy store too – my very first Barbie was from Hamley’s and I still have it till today.

When we were there, Aidan played with the toys too.

First was the pony that was selling for 260 euros, I would love to buy him one of these one day but I'll get a cheaper version of it.

Next was the penguin that waddles and squawks like a real one!

Then came the orang utan, the horse and the elephant. There's no need to go to the smelly zoo when you can get it all here

Then we plonked Aidan in the middle of these gigantic soft toys.

Mummy wanted a photo too

Next was Aunty Zeileen feeling like a queen

Not to forget Aidan's 2nd cousin Nadia! It's all in the genes, LOL!

And finally,

This giraffe was on sale for 4655 euros! I bet the real thing doesn't cost as much. Hehe.

Hand Me Downs

Lately Aidan has been showing a lot of interest in toy cars and trucks.

So last week, MIL rummaged through the store room to look for hubby’s old toys to be handed over to Aidan.

Found a handful of Tranformers and even though it was bought over 2 decades ago, they were surprisingly still in good condtion.

And by the way, Aidan turns 11 months tomorrow! No more cuddly toys for you boy

Bring Out The Child In You

I am mad about Cabbage Patch Kids. Period.

Mom bought me my first CPK when I was 5 and she queued 3 hours in the cold to get me one.

It didn’t come cheap too at 50 dollars a doll and nearly a week’s worth of her babysitting money.

I was rather proud of it though and brought it for ‘Show And Tell’,

only to find out that every other girl in class brought a CPK too!

I still treasure it till today and I can’t believe it’s already 20++ years old.

Oh, and I bought another one a couple of years ago.

Mom was surprised to find one in my wardrobe during her last stay.

She doesn’t know this but it reminds me so much of her,

and the little sacrifices she made to make sure I only get the best.

How Do You Like Your Mr Potato Head ?

Remember how we all had a favourite toy when we were young ?

He was hooked on Transformers. I loved my Rainbow Brite, Cabbage Patch Kid and Strawberry Shortcake doll. (Yes, I was a very greedy child and I still keep them well hidden away from my nieces till today)

But didn’t we all grow up with Mr Potato Head ?

A couple of months back, I received a voucher from Borders and wanted to get something for him.

There were no Transformers (It is a bookstore after all, Duh !), so I bought him this.

It made a perfect anniversary gift.

Don’t you love this version of OPTIMASH PRIME ?

My Little Obsession

I think my obsession with Peter Rabbit took me a bit overboard after watching ‘Miss Potter’. It didnt help that Renee Zellweger played the role of Beatrix Potter so brilliantly ! Oh and Ewan McGregor? Simply divine. I have always been fascinated by Peter Rabbit – how cute can a little bunny be with a little jacket and shoes ?

I have been to Lake District twice before and I never knew that this was home to Peter Rabbit and his friends. And what more, there was a whole world dedicated to this little bunny.

So what did we do ? You guessed it , we packed our bags and off we went to ‘World of Beatrix Potter’

Bunnies, bunnies and more bunnies everywhere !

All bunnies were brought to life, very enchanting and surreal.

Thank you Miss Potter for opening my eyes.

Thank you Beatrix Potter for making me feel young again with your lovely tales.

Thank you Honey for benjamin bunny and taking me there.

ps : Oh, dont worry. I still love my handbags and shoes.